Vacuum chuck and methods of transferring workpieces

ABSTRACT

A workpiece is drawn by vacuum through a passage in a housing and into a chamber into which a chuck having a bore through its length and a workpiece engaging end is slidably extended. The end of the workpiece which enters the chamber last is drawn by vacuum into, and held within, the bore at the workpiece engaging end of the chuck. The chuck, and therefore the workpiece, is then advanced through a gate in a second passage to the outside of the housing to deliver the workpiece to a workpiece-receiving tool. The chuck is then retracted in preparation for the next operation.

United States Patent Inventor Marion F. Miller Villa Park, 111.

Appl. No. 888,238

Filed Dec. 29, 1969 Patented Nov. 30, 197 l Assignee TeletypeCorporation Skolde, 111.

VACUUM CHUCK AND METHODS OF TRANSFERRING WORKPIECES 15 Claims, 7 DrawingFigs.

U.S.C1 221/211, 302/2 Int. Cl B23q 7/04 Field of Search 302/2;

29/203 U; 294/64; 214/1 BS (2); 221/261. 211

Primary Examiner- Richard E. Aegerter Assistant Examiner-H. S. LaneA!lnrne vsJ. L. Landis and R. P. Miller ABSTRACT: A workpiece is drawnby vacuum through a passage in a housing and into a chamber into which achuck having a bore through its length and a workpiece engaging end isslidably extended. The end of the workpiece which enters the chamberlast is drawn by vacuum into, and held within. the bore at the workpieceengaging end of the chuck. The chuck. and therefore the workpiece, isthen advanced through a gate in a second passage to the outside of thehousing to deliver the workpiece to a workpiece-receiving tool. Thechuck is then retracted in preparation for the next operation.

.VACUUM PUMP PATENTEUNUV 30 IQTI SHEET 2 BF 2 BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates generally to vacuum chucks andto methods of transferring workpieces to vacuum chucks, and inparticular to a vacuum chuck in which a workpiece is drawn by vacuumthrough a passage into a chamber and then into a chuck which has beenslidably extended into the chamber, which then operates to transfer theworkpiece to a workpiece-receiving tool.

Generally, in placing a workpiece in a vacuum chuck, a mechanical deviceis used to hold the workpiece and to position it within the range ofinfluence created by a vacuum drawn through the chuck so that, when theworkpiece is released by the mechanical device, it will be drawn into,and held within, the chuck by the vacuum. This type of vacuum chuck isnot practical when the workpieces to be handled are fragile andsusceptible to being easily damaged when grasped by mechanical means,such as when the workpieces are conductive leads which must be placedagainst, and welded to, a thin film circuit. Also, the necessarycomplexity of the mechanical workpiece handling device results inincreased too] expense and frequent maintenance.

An object of the invention is to provide a vacuum device for placingworkpieces within a vacuum chuck, wherein the workpieces are not graspedby mechanical means, to prevent damage to the workpieces.

Another object of the invention is to provide a relatively inexpensiveand maintenance free device for guiding workpieces into the workpieceengaging end of a vacuum chuck.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The foregoing and other objects of theinvention are accomplished by providing a housing having a chamber andfirst and second passages, each passage extending between the outside ofthe housing and the chamber. A chuck having a bore extending through itslength, and having a work engaging end, is slidably mounted in thesecond passage such that its work engaging end may enter the chamber.

Preferably, the housing has a third passage aligned with the secondpassage and extending between the outside of the housing and thechamber, and separated from the second passage by the chamber. A movablegate is provided to normally seal the third passage. A workpiece isintroduced into the first passage and means are provided for withdrawingair from the bore of the chuck, so that air is drawn from the firstpassage, through the chamber and into the bore, thereby causing theworkpiece to be drawn by the air through the first passage, into thechamber and then into the bore. Both the first and the second passagesenter the chamber at the same end of the chamber, and therefore the endof the workpiece entering the chamber last is spaced closer to thesecond passage, when the workpiece is fully in the chamber, than the endof the workpiece which entered the chamber first, and is drawn into andheld within the bore of the chuck at the workpiece engaging end of thechuck by the moving air. Once the workpiece is within the work engagingend of the chuck, the chuck is advanced through the chamber, the thirdpassage, and the movable gate to deliver the workpiece to the exteriorofthe chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 of the drawings is a side viewof a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial front view taken along the line 22 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, detail view of the work engaging end of thechuck, partly in section.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view according to line 44 of FIG. 2, showingthe attitude of a workpiece which is about to enter the chamber and of aworkpiece which has entered the chamber but has not yet been drawnwithin the bore of the chuck.

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4, showing a workpiece which has been drawninto, and is being held within, the bore of the chuck.

FIG. 6 is a similar view showing the chuck extended through the chamberand out of the housing.

FIG. 7 is another similar view showing the chuck locating the workpiecefor engagement by the workpiece-receiving tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The specific embodiment of a workpiece handlingdevice 10 as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings includes a housing 12having a chamber 14, better seen in FIG. 4. A workpiece supply tube 16is connected to the chamber 14 for supplying workpieces to the chamber14, and a hollow chuck 18 is also extended into the chamber 14 to acceptworkpieces within the chamber 14 which have been provided through theworkpiece supply tube 16. A vacuum conduit 19 is connected between thechuck l8 and a vacuum means 20, such as a vacuum pump, to provide an airflow through the workpiece supply tube 16, the chamber 14, and into thechuck 18 to the vacuum means 20 to move the workpiece through the tube16, into the chamber 14 and then into the chuck 18. A front view of thehousing 12 and the workpiece supply tube 16 is shown in FIG. 2 of thedrawings.

More particularly the chuck 18, as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, isprovided with'two coaxial bores 21 and 22 extending throughout itslength, the bore 22 being of sufiicient diameter to allow a workpiece tobe brought within it. A blocking member 23 is provided at the junctureof the bore 22 with the bore 21. The bore 22 has a flared opening 24 atits end to facilitate entry of the workpiece into the lower bore 22. Inthis example, a workpiece 26 is a long, thin conductive lead, aplurality of which are to be welded in sequence to a thin-film circuit27. Each lead has a cylindrical body 28 and a headed end 30, of a sizesuch that the upper portion of the body 28 may be accommodated closelywithin the bore 22 of the chuck l8 and seat itself in engagement withthe blocking member 23, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5. When properlyseated, the headed end 30 of the workpiece 26 extends out of the bore 22as shown in FIGS. 5-7.

As shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings, the chuck 18 is slidably mounted ina bore 32 of the housing 12 and normally extends partially into thechamber 14 at a top end 34 of the chamber 14, as viewed in the drawings.A passageway 36 also extends at one of its ends into the end 34 of thechamber 14, and is connected at its other end to the workpiece supplytube 16. Therefore, when the vacuum means 20 is operated, air will bedrawn through the supply tube 16 and the passageway 36, into the chamber14, and then upward through the bores 22 and 21 of the chuck l8.

Another passageway 38 is provided, at a bottom end 40 of the housing 12,which is vertically aligned with the bore 22 in the chuck l8 and extendsbetween the outside of the housing 12 and the chamber 14. An elastomersleeve 42 is circumferentially disposed within the passageway 38 andextends slightly beyond the bottom 40 of the housing 12, The elastomersleeve 42 is coaxial with, and has a sufficient inner diameter toaccommodate, the chuck 18. A gate 44, in the form of a flat planarmember, is supported by a rod 46 which extends through, and is rotatablymounted within, a bore 48 in the housing 12. The gate 44 is normallyheld in engagement with the end of the elastomer sleeve 42 which extendsbeyond the bottom 40 of the housing 12, and forms an effective seal withthe elastomer sleeve 42, so that when air is drawn from the bore 22 ofthe chuck 18 by the vacuum means 20, air will not also be drawn throughthe elastomer sleeve 42.

OPERATION In use, the vacuum means 20 normally provides a continuousairflow under a negative pressure through the workpiece supply tube 16,into the chamber l4, and then through and out of the bores 22 and 21 ofthe chuck l8. workpieces, such as the workpiece 26, are introduced oneat a time with the headed end first into the workpiece supply tube 16,and are propelled by the airflow generated by the vacuum means 20through the workpiece supply tube 16 and the passageway 36 in thehousing 12 into the chamber 14. When a particular workpiece 26 entersthe chamber 14, it is guided down a side 50 of the chamber 14, which hasa slope with respect to vertical, as viewed in the drawings, until itenters the elastomer sleeve 42, the axis of which lies in a verticalplane, and momentarily comes to rest against the gate 44. The relativepositions of the elastomer sleeve 42 and the side 50 are such that asmooth transition is experienced when the workpiece 26 passes out ofengagement with the side 50 and through the passageway 38 intoengagement with the gate 44. The diameter and length of the elastomersleeve 42 are sufficient to ensure that when the workpiece 26 hasentered it, the workpiece will be maintained in a substantially verticalposition and will, therefore, be approximately coaxial with the chuck18.

When the workpiece is resting with its headed end 30 against the gate44, and in a position which is substantially coaxial with the chuck 18,as seen in FIG. 4 of the drawings, it is acted upon by the air beingpulled through the bore 22 of the chuck 18 by the vacuum means 20, andis drawn into the bore 22 of the chuck 18, as shown in FIG. of thedrawings, until it engages the blocking member 23 formed between thebore 22 and the bore 21. The workpiece 26 is thereafter held firmly bythe vacuum chuck 18 until needed. It is to be noted that the end of theworkpiece 16 which entered the chamber 14 last is the end which is drawninto the bore 22 of the chuck 18.

With the workpiece 26 held within the chuck 18 as shown in FIG. 5 of thedrawings, the gate 44 may be rotated by the rod 46 out of engagementwith the elastomer sleeve 42, and the chuck it! may be advanceddownwardly through the elastomer sleeve 42 and externally of the housing12 to position the workpiece 26 to be received by a workpiece-receivingtool 52, as shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings. The workpiece receivingtool 52 maybe any suitable device, such as a conventional welding devicefor thin-film circuit leads, having a furcated head 53 for gripping theworkpiece 26, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 7. The gate 44 may be rotatedout of engagement with the elastomer sleeve 42, and the chuck 181 may beextended through the elastomer sleeve 42 and externally of the housing12, by any suitable means, such as a driving device 54 as shown in FIG.1 of the drawings. As a cam 56 rotates, the chuck 18 is driven downwardand a rotary motion is imparted to the rod 46 by a spiral drive 58,downward motion of the rod 46 being prevented by a sleeve 60 which issecurely fastened to the rod 46 and which normally engages the topportion of the housing 12.

As the chuck 18 is driven downward to deliver the workpiece 26 to theworkpiece-receiving tool 52, as shown on in FIG. 6 of the drawings, theentire device is rotated away from the receiving tool 52 so that theworkpiece 26 will be brought under the bottom surface of the receivingtool 52 and between the furcations of the head 53. After the workpiece26 has been positioned between the furcations of the head 53, thereceiving tool 52 is driven downward, allowing the head 53 to engage theheaded end 30 of the workpiece 26 and to move the workpiece downward andout of the chuck 18 until the headed end 30 engages the surface of thethin-film circuit 27. Welding of the workpiece 26 to the thin-filmcircuit 27 is then accomplished and retraction of the chuck l8 and thereceiving tool 52 to their original positions, and closure of the gate44, prepares the device 10 for another workpiece receiving operation asdescribed above.

While one specific embodiment of the invention has been described indetail, it will be obvious that various modifications may be made fromthe specific details described without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention.

Iclaim:

I. A device for transferring and handling a workpiece, which comprises:

a housing having a chamber and first and second passages,

each passage extending between the outside of the housing and thechamber;

a workpiece holder movably mounted in the second passage with its inner,workpiece-receiving end extending toward the chamber;

means for conveying the workpiece through the first passage and into thechamber with a leading end of the workpiece foremost and a lagging endhindmost and into engagement with the holder with the lagging endforemost; and

means for moving the holder in the second passage to posi tion at leasta portion of the workpiece outside the chamber.

2. A device as recited in claim I, wherein:

the housing has a third passage of sufficient size to slidably receivethe workpiece and the inner end of the holder, the third passageextending between the outside of the housing and the chamber, and beingaligned with the second passage and separated from the second passage bythe chamber;

the holder-moving means operates to move the inner end of the holderthrough the third passage to carry a portion of the workpiece outsidethe chamber; and

means are provided for sealing the third passage prior to the time thatthe workpiece engages the holder, and for opening the third passagethereafter to permit movement of the holder therethrough.

3. A device as received in claim I, for use with an elongated,

generally cylindrical article, wherein:

the first passage is a cylindrical passage arranged to feed the articlelongitudinally therethrough and entirely into the chamber; and

a receiving member is mounted in the chamber in line with the inner endof the first passage for receiving the article after it passes throughthe first passage and for orienting the article to a position inalignment with the inner end of second passage, after which theconveying means moves the article into the second passage and intoengagement with the holder.

4. A device for transferring and handling an article, which comprises:

a housing having a V-shaped passage of a cross section sufficient topass the article, the article being introduced into the outer end of afirst arm of the V, the base of the V being closed and of sufficientsize to pass the article from one arm to the other;

means for withdrawing air from the second arm of the V to establish anairflow through the first ann sufficient to advance the article alongthe first arm to the base of the V and then outward along the secondarm; and

means located in the second arm for engaging and holding the article asit moves along the second arm.

5. A device as received in claim 4, wherein:

the passage is Y-shaped; and

means are provided at the base of the Y for receiving the article fromthe first arm and for orienting the article into an aligned positionfacing the inner end of the second arm.

6. A device as received in claim 5, for

cylindrical article, wherein:

the first arm is a cylindrical passage arranged to feed the articlelongitudinally completely therethrough and into the base leg of the Y;

the base leg includes a member having a closed cylindrical passageconstituting the receiving and orienting means, arranged to receive thearticle from the first passage and temporarily hold it with the endwhich entered the first arm last facing the second arm in alignmenttherewith; and

the second arm includes a cylindrical passage designed to receive theoriginally trailing end of the article; and

a vacuum chuck is mounted in the second arm for receiving and holdingthe originally trailing end of the article.

use with an elongated 7. A device as recited in claim 6, furthercomprising:

means for moving a portion of the vacuum chuck through the base leg ofthe Y to transport the originally trailing end of the article outside ofthe housing.

8. A method of transferring and handling a workpiece,

which comprises:

conveying the workpiece through a housing having a chamber and first andsecond passages, each passage extending between the outside of thehousing and the chamber, so that the workpiece advances through thefirst passage and into the chamber with a leading end of the workpieceforemost and a lagging end hindmost and then into the second passagewith the lagging end foremost;

engaging the workpiece as it advances into the second passage andholding it with a workpiece holder movably mounted in the second passagewith its workpiecereceiving end extending toward the chamber; and

moving the holder in the second passage to position at least a portionof the workpiece outside the chamber.

9. A method as received in claim 8 wherein:

the step of moving the holder comprises moving the holder through athird passage provided in the housing in alignment with the secondpassage and separated from the second passage with the chamber; and

the third passage is sealed prior to the time that the work pieceengages the holder and is opened thereafter to permit movement of theholder therethrough.

10. A method as recited in claim 7, for use with an elongated generallycylindrical article, wherein:

the article is fed longitudinally through the first passage and advancesentirely into the chamber; and

the article is oriented after it has advanced into the chamber to aposition in alignment with the inner end of the second passage, afterwhich the article is conveyed into the second passage and intoengagement with the holder.

11. A device for transferring and handling a workpiece,

which comprises:

a housing having a chamber and first and second passages,

each passage extending between the outside of the housing and thechamber;

a chuck movably mounted in the second passage with its inner,workpiece-receiving end extending toward the chamber and having a boreextending through its length and designed for receiving a portion of theworkpiece, the bore having means therein for stopping the workpiece in adesired position;

means for withdrawing air from the bore of the chuck so that air isdrawn from the first passage, through the chamber, and then through thebore in the chuck to feed the article by vacuum in sequence through thefirst passage, the chamber, and then the bore to a rest position withinthe chuck;

a third passage in the housing of sufficient size to slidably receivethe workpiece and the chuck, the third passage extending between theoutside of the housing and the chamber, and being aligned with thesecond passage and separated from the second passage by the chamber;

means for moving the chuck in the second passage so that the lower endof the chuck passes through the third passage to carry at least aportion of the workpiece outside the chamber; and

means for sealing the third passage prior to the time that the workpieceengages the chuck, and for opening the third passage thereafter topermit movement of the chuck therethrough.

12. A device for transferring and handling an elongated,

generally cylindrical article, which comprises:

a housing having a chamber and first and second passages,

each passage extending between the outside of the housing and thechamber, the first passage having a cylindrical shape and being arrangedto feed the article longitudinally therethrough and entirely into thechamber; an artic e holder movably mounted in the second passage withits inner, article-receiving end extending toward the chamber;

means for exhausting air from the second passage to draw the article bysuction through the first passage, into the chamber, and then into thesecond passage for engagement with the article-receiving end of theholder, the exhausting means and the passages being arranged so that theportion of the article which enters the chamber last approaches theholder first;

a receiving member mounted in the chamber in line with the inner end ofthe first passage for receiving the article after it passes through thefirst passage and for orienting the article to a position in alignmentwith the inner end of the second passage, after which the air exhaustingmeans moves the article into the second passage and into engagement withthe holder; and

means for moving the holder in the second passage to position at least aportion of the workpiece outside the chamber.

13. A device as recited in claim 12, wherein the chamber and passagesare arranged in a Y-shaped configuration, the first and second passagescomprising the arms of the Y and the chamber comprising the base leg,the receiving member being located at the base of the Y.

14. A device as recited in claim 13, wherein:

the base leg of the Y comprises a third passage aligned with the secondpassage, the third passage being sufficiently large to slidably receivethe article and the inner end of the holder;

a movable gate is provided at the base of the Y for sealing the thirdpassage while the article is being transferred to the holder;

means are provided for opening the gate when it is desired to remove thearticle from the chamber; and

the holder-moving means comprises means for moving the holder so thatthe work-receiving end passes through the third passage to carry aportion of the article outside the housing.

15. A method of transferring and handling a workpiece, the workpiecebeing transferred through a housing having a chamber and first, secondand third passages, each passage extending between the outside of thehousing and the chamber, which comprises:

withdrawing air from the second passage and from a bore in a holdermovably mounted in the second passage, so that air is drawn from thefirst passage, through the chamber and then through the bore in theholder to feed the workpiece by vacuum in sequence through the firstpassage, the chamber, and to a rest position within the holder;

moving the holder in the second passage and through the third passage,the third passage being in alignment with the second passage andseparated from the second passage with the chamber, to position at leasta portion of the workpiece outside the chamber; and

sealing the third passage prior to the time that the workpiece engagesthe holder and opening the third passage thereafter to permit movementof the holder therethrough.

1. A device for transferring and handling a workpiece, which comprises:a housing having a chamber and first and second passages, each passageextending between the outside of the housing and the chamber; aworkpiece holder movably mounted in the second passage with its inner,workpiece-receiving end extending toward the chamber; means forconveying the workpiece through the first passage and into the chamberwith a leading end of the workpiece foremost and a lagging end hindmostand into engagement with the holder with the lagging end foremost; andmeans for moving the holder in the second passage to position at least aportion of the workpiece outside the chamber.
 2. A device as recited inclaim 1, wherein: the housing has a third passage of sufficient size toslidably receive the workpiece and the inner end of the holder, thethird passage extending between the outside of the housing and thechamber, and being aligned with the second passage and separated fromthe second passage by the chamber; the holder-moving means operates tomove the inner end of the holder through the third passage to carry aportion of the workpiece outside the chamber; and means are provided forsealing the third passage prior to the time that the workpiece engagesthe holder, and for opening the third passage thereafter to permitmovement of the holder therethrough.
 3. A device as recited in claim 1,for use with an elongated, generally cylindrical article, wherein: thefirst passage is a cylindrical passage arranged to feed the articlelongitudinally therethrough and entirely into the chamber; and areceiving member is mounted in the chamber in line with the inner end ofthe first passage for receiving the article after it passes through thefirst passage and for orienting the article to a position in alignmentwith the inner end of second passage, after which the conveying meansmoves the article into the second passage and into engagement with theholder.
 4. A device for transferring and handling an article, whichcomprises: a housing having a V-shaped passage of a cross sectionsufficient to pass the article, the article being introduced into theouter end of a first arm of the V, the base of the V being closed and ofsufficient size to pass the article from one arm to the other; means forwithdrawing air from the second arm of the V to establish an airflowthrough the first arm sufficient to advance the article along the firstarm to the base of the V and then outward along the second arm; andmeans located in the second arm for engaging and holding the article asit moves along the second arm.
 5. A device as recited in claim 4,wherein: the passage is Y-shaped; and means are provided at the base ofthe Y for receiving the article from the first arm and for orienting thearticle into an aligned position facing the inner end of the second arm.6. A device as received in claim 5, for use with an elongatedcylindrical article, wherein: the first arm is a cylindrical passagearranged to fEed the article longitudinally completely therethrough andinto the base leg of the Y; the base leg includes a member having aclosed cylindrical passage constituting the receiving and orientingmeans, arranged to receive the article from the first passage andtemporarily hold it with the end which entered the first arm last facingthe second arm in alignment therewith; and the second arm includes acylindrical passage designed to receive the originally trailing end ofthe article; and a vacuum chuck is mounted in the second arm forreceiving and holding the originally trailing end of the article.
 7. Adevice as recited in claim 6, further comprising: means for moving aportion of the vacuum chuck through the base leg of the Y to transportthe originally trailing end of the article outside of the housing.
 8. Amethod of transferring and handling a workpiece, which comprises:conveying the workpiece through a housing having a chamber and first andsecond passages, each passage extending between the outside of thehousing and the chamber, so that the workpiece advances through thefirst passage and into the chamber with a leading end of the workpieceforemost and a lagging end hindmost and then into the second passagewith the lagging end foremost; engaging the workpiece as it advancesinto the second passage and holding it with a workpiece holder movablymounted in the second passage with its workpiece-receiving end extendingtoward the chamber; and moving the holder in the second passage toposition at least a portion of the workpiece outside the chamber.
 9. Amethod as recited in claim 8, wherein: the step of moving the holdercomprises moving the holder through a third passage provided in thehousing in alignment with the second passage and separated from thesecond passage with the chamber; and the third passage is sealed priorto the time that the workpiece engages the holder and is openedthereafter to permit movement of the holder therethrough.
 10. A methodas recited in claim 7, for use with an elongated generally cylindricalarticle, wherein: the article is fed longitudinally through the firstpassage and advances entirely into the chamber; and the article isoriented after it has advanced into the chamber to a position inalignment with the inner end of the second passage, after which thearticle is conveyed into the second passage and into engagement with theholder.
 11. A device for transferring and handling a workpiece, whichcomprises: a housing having a chamber and first and second passages,each passage extending between the outside of the housing and thechamber; a chuck movably mounted in the second passage with its inner,workpiece-receiving end extending toward the chamber and having a boreextending through its length and designed for receiving a portion of theworkpiece, the bore having means therein for stopping the workpiece in adesired position; means for withdrawing air from the bore of the chuckso that air is drawn from the first passage, through the chamber, andthen through the bore in the chuck to feed the article by vacuum insequence through the first passage, the chamber, and then the bore to arest position within the chuck; a third passage in the housing ofsufficient size to slidably receive the workpiece and the chuck, thethird passage extending between the outside of the housing and thechamber, and being aligned with the second passage and separated fromthe second passage by the chamber; means for moving the chuck in thesecond passage so that the lower end of the chuck passes through thethird passage to carry at least a portion of the workpiece outside thechamber; and means for sealing the third passage prior to the time thatthe workpiece engages the chuck, and for opening the third passagethereafter to permit movement of the chuck therethrough.
 12. A devicefor transferring and handling an elongated, generally cylindricalarticle, which comprises: a housing having a chamber and first andsecond passages, each passage extending between the outside of thehousing and the chamber, the first passage having a cylindrical shapeand being arranged to feed the article longitudinally therethrough andentirely into the chamber; an article holder movably mounted in thesecond passage with its inner, article-receiving end extending towardthe chamber; means for exhausting air from the second passage to drawthe article by suction through the first passage, into the chamber, andthen into the second passage for engagement with the article-receivingend of the holder, the exhausting means and the passages being arrangedso that the portion of the article which enters the chamber lastapproaches the holder first; a receiving member mounted in the chamberin line with the inner end of the first passage for receiving thearticle after it passes through the first passage and for orienting thearticle to a position in alignment with the inner end of the secondpassage, after which the air exhausting means moves the article into thesecond passage and into engagement with the holder; and means for movingthe holder in the second passage to position at least a portion of theworkpiece outside the chamber.
 13. A device as recited in claim 12,wherein the chamber and passages are arranged in a Y-shapedconfiguration, the first and second passages comprising the arms of theY and the chamber comprising the base leg, the receiving member beinglocated at the base of the Y.
 14. A device as recited in claim 13,wherein: the base leg of the Y comprises a third passage aligned withthe second passage, the third passage being sufficiently large toslidably receive the article and the inner end of the holder; a movablegate is provided at the base of the Y for sealing the third passagewhile the article is being transferred to the holder; means are providedfor opening the gate when it is desired to remove the article from thechamber; and the holder-moving means comprises means for moving theholder so that the work-receiving end passes through the third passageto carry a portion of the article outside the housing.
 15. A method oftransferring and handling a workpiece, the workpiece being transferredthrough a housing having a chamber and first, second and third passages,each passage extending between the outside of the housing and thechamber, which comprises: withdrawing air from the second passage andfrom a bore in a holder movably mounted in the second passage, so thatair is drawn from the first passage, through the chamber and thenthrough the bore in the holder to feed the workpiece by vacuum insequence through the first passage, the chamber, and to a rest positionwithin the holder; moving the holder in the second passage and throughthe third passage, the third passage being in alignment with the secondpassage and separated from the second passage with the chamber, toposition at least a portion of the workpiece outside the chamber; andsealing the third passage prior to the time that the workpiece engagesthe holder and opening the third passage thereafter to permit movementof the holder therethrough.